iPad mini off to a slow start

Apple’s iPad mini is hitting retail, but it seems it failed to impress Apple fans in Asia and Australia.

In gadget mad Tokyo there were only 50 people in the queue, although there were claims that some of them had been eaten during an epic battle between Godzilla and a giant fruit bat.The numbers are also down in Singapore and in Hong Kong only about 30 people lined up in front of the local Apple store, in stark contrast to crowds generated by the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S launches. The same goes for Sydney.

However, we don’t think the low turnout is a good reflection of demand. Consumers who camp out in front of Apple stores tend to be diehard fans of the fruity brand and it is safe to assume many of them already have an iPad 2 or iPad 3, so it’s hardly surprising they are not lining up to get a cheaper and inferior design. They are not the target audience.

Analysts are not entirely convinced that Apple has the 7-inch tablet in the bag.

“Devotion to Apple products has been compared to a religion,” said a Gartner analyst. “But, I don’t think Apple will be as dominant in the seven-inch tablet space because they let the Kindle Fire and the Nexus get a foothold in the market at a considerably lower price.”

Still, few doubt the iPad mini will be a massive success. For anyone who has invested in the Apple ecosystem, it’s probably a better choice than a 7-inch Android tablet. However, for everyone else it’s hardly a must-have device.